A Slightly Different Path
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: AU. What if Ezra hadn't been completely ignorant of the Force when he met the Ghost crew? How would it affect his relationship with the crew and Kanan in particular?
1. Chapter 1

_**Star Wars Rebels: A Slightly Different Path**_

 **Author Notes: I've recently gotten quite into Star Wars Rebels and have had a few ideas for different fanfic's based on the show, I'm especially fond of some of the AU fan fics that are out there for the show. This story is actually inspired by the story Ezra the Jedi by EzmireJay103 as I find the idea of Ezra already having some knowledge of the Force before meeting the _Ghost_ crew and becoming Kanan's padawan a fascinating one.**

 **Before anyone says anything I haven't forgotten about any of my other works and in fact am in the middle of working on new chapters for a few of them, I just had to scratch this particular plot bunny itch first.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around, all Star Wars Rebels characters remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am merely borrowing them and make no profit from their use. So please keep the lawyers firmly on a leash.**

 **Edit (13/03/2016): It's been brought to my attention that the telekinetic blast Ezra originally used against the storm troopers was a bit brazen of him, and out of character with his earlier caution, so I've reworked the scene to remove and replace it with the current scene. I've also added in a reference to the third speeder bike that I forgot to include the first time.**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Ezra's Tower**

 **Lothal**

Sitting on the floor of the old communications tower that had become his home Ezra Bridger was deep in meditation. Had anyone come into the room – though nobody ever did as he lived alone aside from the occasional loth-cat squatter, which usually happened during Lothal's monsoon season as like all felines loth-cat's hated getting wet – he would have seemed to have been asleep as he sat in a meditative pose that despite the Empire's best efforts hadn't quite yet been confined to the pages of the galaxies history books. They would have been wrong as he was anything but asleep.

Instead his mind was listening to the Force, probing gently at the currents and patterns of the energy field created by all living things as he tried to make sense of the odd feeling he'd been having all day long. He'd always been able to sense the Force, it was a gift that he'd inherited from his father, a former Jedi who'd left the order during the Clone Wars after meeting and falling in love with his mother, and one that his father had done his best to teach him about. At least till his parents were taken by the Empire one night eight years ago.

Though the teaching hadn't really stopped since as his father had left recordings, small instruction manuals of a sort to teach his son the basics of using his Force abilities and how to hide them from the ever watchful eyes of the Sith. They'd been helpful to him over the years, though there was only so much he could learn from them well when he wasn't doing his best to survive on the streets of the capital. Something that his limited knowledge of the Force had helped him to do.

Ezra knew he should have been in the capital today it was market day but this morning he'd been distracted by a strange sensation in the Force. A feeling that something, or possibly someone, was coming. It had been so distracting that he'd started meditating – something he normally only did in the evening before turning in to sleep – in an attempt to understand what the Force was trying to tell him.

So far without success.

A fresh shiver in the Force caught his attention and Ezra opened his eyes. Something new was happening, something outside. _Huh wonder what's going on,_ he thought getting back to his feet and making his way outside to look in the direction of the capital city beyond the shifting planes of dry grass that were a such a dominant feature of Lothal for eight months of the year.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up. To see an Imperial-class Star Destroyer slowly gliding across the sky towards the capital. Ezra resisted, just, the impulse to scowl at the mighty space going battleship that had become a symbol of oppression for so many people across the galaxy over the last fifteen years. He had no love for the Imperials, they'd taken his parents after all and they forced him to hide such an important part of who he was – which had meant none of the handful of foster homes he'd ended up in over the years had lasted more than a couple of months at a time.

Feeling his stomach grumble he sighed. It was time to head into the city and get some food as his own stock here had run out yesterday. Figuring out the odd sensation in the Force would have to wait for a while. Decision made he slipped back inside to get his backpack and some of the items he'd repaired or acquired that he could use to barter food from the merchants.

* * *

Several minutes later Ezra was walking out the base of the tower. He quickly hopped on his battered old speeder bike and started the engine. Seconds later he was speeding across the dry planes towards the city.

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later**

Ezra moved quietly through the thronging streets of the capital's market district. Vendors and patrons were everywhere as the citizens of the capital went about their daily business, though there was an unusual undercurrent of nervousness that he couldn't help but pick up on. Nervousness that was somewhat understandable given that Imperial patrols seemed unusually numerous today, Imperial storm troopers – in their distinctive bone white armour – being far more visible than they normally were.

Something obviously had the Imperials spooked. The garrison on this part of the planet was not normally this active outside the district immediately surrounding the mushroom-shaped Imperial Complex that now dominated the city skyline. Ezra couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the odd feelings in the Force that had been plaguing him all day.

"I'm just trying to sell a couple of yogans here," a voice abruptly said gaining his attention. Turning down the street in the direction the voice had come from Ezra found a pair of Imperial officers and two storm troopers looming over a merchant with a basket full of yogan fruit. One of the officers, a tall thin man with cruel eyes, was speaking into his comm link, saying something about bringing the merchant in on a charge of treason. Obviously the merchant had said something, mouthed off at the Imperials or the Empire in general, and the Imps were reacting in predictable fashion.

"You can't do this," the merchant, an alien whose species he didn't recognise, exclaimed as the two troopers, in response to a gesture from the thin officer, grabbed him.

"Yeah well who's going to stop us," the other officer, a just as tall but far fatter man asked before taking one of the merchants yogans and biting into it. "You," he asked looking at one of the few citizens who were watching, "or you," he asked looking at another. Both looked at citizens looked away, like most people on Lothal they'd long since been cowed into ignoring such displays by the Imperials no matter how unjust they were.

 _If they won't do something I will,_ Ezra thought adopting a submissive posture and approaching. "Hey mister a spare yogan," he asked.

"Move along loth-rat," the fatter Imperial snapped making a swipe at him with an arm as he'd known he would. Dodging it he moved slightly towards the other officer and with a quick sleight of hand palmed the others comm link without the Imp noticing.

"Sorry, sorry not looking for trouble," he said playing the submissive until he was out of the Imperials immediate earshot. "But it sure has a way of finding me," he said as he tossed the comm link in the air and caught it before slipping behind a convenient corner. Then he took a deep breath and activated the comm on a wide spectrum frequency so all Imperials within a block of here would hear it.

"All units to the main square," he said in a deeper voice than the one he normally spoke with, masking his native accent as well so he sounded more like your average Imperial officer who tended to be a core worlder hailing from somewhere like Coruscant or Alderaan. "This is a Code Red emergency."

"It's your lucky day, Lothal scum," came the voice of the thin officer from just around the corner. "You come with us."

Hearing the Imperials start to run Ezra returned to the square, to see the alien they'd been accosting sprawled on the floor some of his yogans around him having fallen out of the basket he'd had them in which itself was now on the floor having been thrown by the fat Imperial. "Stay alert," he said into the comm, the merchant looking up at him in shock and gratitude. "Repeating this is a Code Red emergency."

"Thank you," the little alien said as he turned off the comm link.

"You're welcome," Ezra replied offering a hand to help him up. A part of him wanted him to take some of the fruit but he pushed that down, while he'd steal from Imperials and their stooges he wouldn't take from an innocent not unless he had no other choice. The sense of ethics and fair play he'd gotten off his parents, and which years of living on the streets hadn't gotten rid of, wouldn't let him do that.

"Here take some," the merchant said offering him some yogans.

"You sure," Ezra asked.

"It's the least I can do for you," the merchant replied. Ezra smiled back and took a handful of yogans with a quiet 'thank you' and stuffed them in his backpack.

Then deciding he wanted to go watch the Imperials run around like a loth-cat with its tail on fire in response to his rogue declaration of a Code Red he jumped up onto the nearest barrel and used it as a spring board to jump onto the roof of the closest building. He could of course have used the Force to make the whole jump in one go but that would have garnered too much attention and thus it was something he would only do if he absolutely had to.

Keeping his guard up Ezra made his way across the rooftops until he came to one that looked down upon the main square. Where he saw an Imperial officer supervising the attachment of some shipping crates to the back of two speeder bikes, a third already loaded bike nearby. It was at that moment that the Imps who'd been harassing the merchant arrived.

"What's the emergency," the thin one asked as the officer turned to them in surprise.

"I don't know what you mean," the young man answered.

"You called in a Code Red," the fat one told him.

"I don't understand I didn't do such a thing. My orders are to get these crates to the Imperial Portal," the officer replied.

"I almost feel sorry for them," Ezra muttered to himself as he heard the thin officer snap at the supervisor to get the crates loaded then. "Almost."

Shaking his head in amusement he continued watching. Given the security it was obvious that something important was in those crates and he wanted to know what it was as if it was valuable he wouldn't hesitate to swipe it off the Imps. Swipe it then sell it off on the black market for credits he could use to buy valuable supplies.

Abruptly the same shiver in the Force he'd felt earlier caught his attention. Only this time it felt different, felt like the Force wanted him to see something. Trusting the Force, it had never let him down before, he looked in the direction that it seemed to want him to look.

To see down the street a tall man in green and grey clothing and with some kind of armour around his right shoulder and arm was standing his back to him. Somehow knowing it was this man that the Force wanted him to see he cautiously reached out with a Force probe and blinked when he encountered the most powerful mental shield he'd encountered since his father. _What the,_ he thought ducking down as the man spun around, aquamarine coloured eyes scanning around. Ezra immediately ducked out of sight before the stranger could see him. He didn't know why the Force wanted him to know about this man, whoever he was, but he wasn't about to take chances and reveal himself not yet.

* * *

 **A Moment Earlier**

Kanan Jarrus was doing his best to appear nonchalant, just another face in the crowd, as he heard the Imperials talking behind him. He had no idea who it was who'd declared a Code Red but it was going to make his, Sabine and Zeb's jobs a little harder as the Imps would be on alert now. Though Force willing they'd soon calm down and write the whole thing off as a prank carried out by some teenager who'd hacked their comms on a dare or something like that.

Abruptly he felt a Force probe brush against his mental shields. A probe that felt both strange and familiar as it almost felt like a probe from another Jedi, though not as focused. To say he was startled would have been an understatement and he immediately spun around, scanning with both his eyes and the Force for the source of the probe. After carefully scanning he didn't see anything but something, some whisper in the Force told him that the person who'd probed him was still here watching him. _Probably wants to see what_ _I'm going to do,_ he thought understanding the other Force users caution.

After a moment he decided to carry on with the mission. If there was another Jedi here, likely an initiate or at best a padawan from the strength of that probe, watching him he decided not to give any sign that he meant him or her harm. Maybe once they saw that his only intention was to cause the Imperials problems then they'd reveal themselves and he could ask a few questions. Like how it could be that other Jedi besides himself had survived Order 66.

So, keeping his walk casual to avoid suspicion from any watching Imperials, he moved up to where Zeb was hiding in the shadows of a doorway before tapping his blaster three times in the agreed upon signal. Immediately Zeb straightened up from where he'd been slouching with his eyes closed, giving the impression that he was dozing as Lasat were known to do during the day, and began to move into position.

Knowing the former Honour Guard would do his part Kanan moved on to where Sabine was waiting, not drawing any attention despite being clad head to toe in the traditional armour of her people. But then most people, even Imperials, knew not to make trouble with Mandalorians, especially Mandalorian warriors. As with Zeb he tapped his blaster three times, Sabine answering in turn before beginning to move herself.

Knowing that his teammates would do their parts to perfection, Kanan moved down a side street to where the speeder they'd acquired earlier was hidden…

…a second later the concussive rumble of an explosion filled the air.

* * *

"Interesting," Ezra muttered aloud as he watched the strange man give what was clearly an agreed upon signal to a large purple furred alien who he recognised as a Lasat and a Mandalorian female, who was dressed in the most colourful version of her people's battle armour that he'd ever seen, before disappearing down a side street.

He continued watching as the Mandalorian approached one of the Imperial speeder bikes and toss a small object at it. The driver obviously hearing the thud, turned from where he was standing behind his bike presumably to complain. He never got the chance for with a concussive rumble that shook the whole street the speeder bike exploded as the small thermal detonator went off.

"Whoa," Ezra breathed even as pandemonium erupted amongst the Imperials.

"Get those crates out of here," the officer who'd been supervising said, "protect them at all costs."

"All costs huh," Ezra said to himself as three Imps jumped on and started the bikes moving with some storm troopers following on foot at a fast march. "I like the sound of that." Whatever was in those crates was definitely valuable and thus very interesting to him, if he could sell whatever it was on the black market for enough credits he might even be able to afford that small, but high capacity power cell that he needed to finish building his own lightsabre as it would be nice to practice with one of his own instead of his dads as his father's really didn't fit his hands properly as he'd inherited his mother's smaller bone structure along with her vivid blue eyes.

Taking note of the direction the Imperials were moving in he followed jumping from rooftop to rooftop. After a few moments the Imperials came to a halt as a speeder was driven right across their path, a speeder driven by the other Force sensitive. He promptly drew a blaster and gunned down both drivers before summersaulting behind the speeder as the two storm troopers opened fire on him.

Then the Lasat was there grabbing both storm troopers from behind and cracking their heads together hard enough that they were both instantly sent tumbling into the land of nod. _They're good,_ Ezra thought before deciding the time had come to introduce himself. Well after a fashion.

Taking a running leap, he jumped off the building and used the Force to slow his descent so he landed comfortably in the driver's seat of one of the speeder bikes, his sudden appearance surprising both human and Lasat. _Now to see what this theft is about and if it's worth my while. Though even if it isn't I'll deprive the Empire of some of its hardware which is always a plus,_ he thought.

"Thanks for doing the heavy lifting," he said giving the other Force sensitive a cheeky grin and salute with two fingers before gunning the engine and putting the speeder bike into reverse. Absently dodging to the side evading the Lasat who threw a fist in an attempt to stop him. He waved back before bringing the bike to a halt, turning the corner and driving away.

After a few moments he heard the sound of the other two speeder bikes following as they pursued him. Deciding he was going to lead these guys on a merry chase, and in the process see how much they wanted this stuff, he increased power to the engine and shot away at full speed.

A thud behind him caught his attention and he turned in place to see the female Mandalorian had jumped down onto the crates. "Pretty gutsy move kid," she said sounding impressed with him before drawing a blaster from a leg holster and shooting the join between the crates breaking the magnetic lock. "If the big guy catches you he'll end you. Good luck."

 _That was weird, she could have shot me but she didn't,_ Ezra thought with a smile before turning his full attention back to his driving. Just in time to see a squad of bucket heads appear ahead of him. _Yikes,_ he thought as the storm troopers sent a fusillade of hot blood red plasma shooting towards him from their blasters. Instinct and the Force took over enabling him to easily evade those handful of bolts that came too close, as always most of the troopers were simply piss poor shots who couldn't hit a target to save their lives.

Return fire from one of his pursuers shot past him and unlike the storm troopers the guy shooting was devastatingly accurate. Plasma crashed hard into the Imperials, punching through their bone white armour to flash fry hearts and lungs killing each trooper instantly even as the kinetic force sent them sprawling. A quick glance back showed his pursuers gaining, eyes widening he increased speed as much as he dared in the twisting canyons formed by the relatively tightly packed buildings of the market district, shooting away into the distance.

* * *

Mere seconds behind the kid who'd so suddenly dropped in on them to pinch some of the crates that he'd come to steal Kanan was, for the second time this mission, startled when said kid evaded a barrage of blaster fire with Force enhanced reflexes. _Not bad,_ he thought as it was more proof that this kid was far more than he appeared to be and was in all probability the Force sensitive who'd probed him earlier.

Sensing more than seeing the troopers about to fire off another volley he took action. Drawing his DL-18 blaster pistol from his leg holster he opened fire on the white armoured Imperial soldiers. In seconds the entire squad were down, fist sized holes blown into the centre of their chests as the Force combined with years of experience ensured he didn't miss even once. His fire obviously caught the kids attention for he looked back, saw how close they were and shot off again increasing to a dangerously fast speed in these narrow and twisting backstreets.

Around them the city gave way to one of the main highways that connected the capital to the other cities and towns on Lothal. Yet still the kid showed no sign of slowing down so Kanan and Zeb kept close on his tail, trying to catch up but being slightly slower due to the fact that their speeder bikes were towing two crates each and the kids only one since Sabine had recovered the other.

Abruptly plasma bolts, from their size and sound they were being fired by a vehicle based blaster, shot past catching him off guard. Cursing under his breath Kanan glanced back, to see three Imperial troopers on speeder bikes had joined the chase. Rather than shoot at them himself he glanced at Zeb who nodded before putting his speeder bike into reverse, drawing his bo-rifle as he did so and expanding it into staff form.

Hearing two thuds and yelps behind him Kanan grinned as he knew Zeb had just used his weapon to knock two Imps flying. Hearing the remaining speeder bike approaching from his left Kanan thought quickly before grabbing and arming one of the small thermal detonators Sabine made from a pouch on his belt. Then he slowed down and turned, holding out both hands as if caught… just as the Imperial caught up.

"Alright you got me, I give up," he said.

"What the-?" the startled Imperial trooper exclaimed a second before Kanan grinned and tossed the armed detonator into his lap.

"Just kidding," he called back as he gunned his engine back to full power a moment before the charge exploded vaporising both the Imperial and his vehicle. _Now to catch up to this kid,_ he thought focusing on his original quarry again. Only to note that the kid had gotten too far ahead for him to catch up to him unless he did something drastic.

As Zeb re-joined him Kanan looked over at him and made a hand gesture indicating for the Lasat to take his cargo crates. Zeb nodded back in understanding allowing Kanan to flip a switch on the speeder bikes control board that disengaged the magnetic locks holding the crates to the back, causing them to detach and just float there suspended by the miniature repulsors in the base of each crate.

Now free of the drag Kanan guided his bike forward. The kid noting, he was gaining again jumped into the next lane causing traffic coming the other way to swerve out the way, horns beeping angrily. _Okay time to end this it's getting far too dangerous now,_ he thought pulling ahead of the kid and jumping over onto the other carriageway himself and coming to a stop right in front and across the kid's path forcing him to swerve to a halt.

"Who are you," the kid demanded unusually vivid blue eyes looking at him.

"I'm the guy who was stealing that crate," Kanan replied. _Plus, I'm the guy who wants to know who you are youngling and whose trained you to use the Force,_ he thought as he extended a Force probe of his own feeling instantly that this kid had some seriously strong mental shields.

"Hey I stole this, whatever it is, fair and square," the kid protested.

"And you made it pretty far," Kanan complimented him. "But I've got plans for that crate so today isn't your lucky day."

The kid scowled at him then looked over his shoulder and smirked. "Days not over," he said before starting moving again off the carriageway just as a familiar screaming sound reached Kanan's ears from above.

"Oh wonderful," Kanan muttered recognising the sound of a TIE fighter and from the pitch of the dual ion fission engines that gave it its name one on an attack dive. Knowing he would never get the speeder bike moving in time he jumped off and began running, mere seconds before a barrage of laser fire raked across the ground and struck the speeder bike the intense heat of the lasers instantly melting through the thin metal skin and breaching the fuel cells. The result was predictable as the bike blew apart in a flash of smoke, flame and shrapnel. The TIE that had destroyed the bike shooting past overhead, already starting to bank around in a pass to search for the other stolen bike.

Stopping in place Kanan turned around and saw the kid's bike ease back onto the carriageway the kid looking back at him. "Have a good one," the kid said before shooting off into the distance, Kanan shaking his head in amusement before retrieving his comm from his belt.

"Spector One to Spector Two I need a lift," he said into it, the TIE screaming past overhead in pursuit of the kid.

"On my way Spector One."

* * *

Aware that the TIE fighter was still on his back Ezra guided his commandeered speeder bike off the carriageway and off across the dry grasslands. Bolts of laser fire began landing around him, some passing so close to him that he could literally smell the ozone of the blasts. _Sheesh whatever's in this crate had better be worth all this trouble,_ he thought doing his best to dodge.

For a few more seconds he continued successfully dodging the laser fire until one bolt hit a rock up ahead of him. The rock exploding immediately sending fragments of hot stone flying through the air like razor blades, the concussion throwing him clear of the bike which spun away out of control, the violence of its tumbling motion breaking the magnetic lock on the crate, before crashing to a halt in a grumbled, burning heap.

Dusting himself Ezra picked himself up and glanced up seeing the TIE approaching again, the pilot intent on finishing him off. _Huh I wonder if it's that guy I pinched the helmet off a few months ago flying it,_ he thought even as his whipped off his backpack and pulled his father's lightsabre out from the small compartment inside where he kept it. _If he wants me he's not going to get me without a fight,_ he thought activating the lightsabre causing a one and a half meter long sun yellow laser contained plasma blade to extend with the familiar and comforting snap-hiss sound.

He embraced the Force as the TIE pilot opened fire again, the lightsabre moving rapidly intercepting the incoming blasts and sending them flying off in another direction. _Huh not the easy prey you thought I was am I,_ Ezra thought smirking at the TIE as the pilot pulled up and started to come around for another pass...

…only for dual bolts of bright red laser fire to slice into the thinly armoured, totally unshielded craft. The blast coming from somewhere above and behind Ezra. The effect was predictable as the TIE immediately exploded into flames and crashed down. Thankfully the grass that dominated much of Lothal's seemingly endless prairie lands was actually pretty fireproof otherwise the burning remains of the Imperial fighter would have surely started one hell of an inferno.

Cautiously Ezra turned to see where the laser blast that had saved him had come from. To see a vaguely diamond shaped ship of Corellian design floating about twenty feet above his head. Its front cargo and crew access ramp was open and somehow Ezra wasn't surprised to see the Force sensitive stranger standing there on the ramp.

"Need a ride," the man called as the sound of additional TIE's approaching filled the air. Beyond the ship Ezra could clearly see four more of the Imperial craft approaching – far too many for him to fight and win. Which meant his only real chance of survival was to go with the man the Force had seemed determined for him to meet for some reason.

Trusting the Force knew what it was doing he deactivated the lightsabre and returned it to its place in his backpack before looking back at the crate. "Leave the crate you'll never make it," he heard the stranger say.

 _Not on your life,_ Ezra thought as he hurried over to the crate and hit the button to reactivate the repulsors. Immediately the crate lifted into the air and he began running towards what he hoped to be his salvation, pushing the crate ahead of him. As laser fire from the approaching TIE's began filling the air he gathered the Force around him and leapt into the air, landing easily on the ramp still holding the crate. Then the man was there helping him push the crate inside the ship, the hatch closing and locking behind them.

Whatever happened next he was committed at least for now.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Well here's the first part of the story done.**

 **I would like to say that while Ezra does have his father's lightsabre he's not that good with it yet both because he only has a few lessons on holodisks to go on that his father made for him before he and Mira were taken by the Empire. And because the lightsabre isn't quite right for him being made for someone with bigger hands than Ezra has. While the lessons left for him by his father have helped Ezra they've been more focused on his mental abilities and strengthening – while also helping to hide from prying Sith eyes – his connection to the Force. Which should give him a good base to start from when he really starts training with Kanan.**

 **Next chapter I will really start diverging the storyline a bit from the canon movie length pilot episode Spark of Rebellion. Especially as I imagine Ezra is going to have quite a few questions to answer from a very curious Jedi.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Star Wars Rebels: A Slightly Different Path**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around, all Star Wars Rebels characters remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am merely borrowing them and make no profit from their use. So please keep the lawyers firmly on a leash.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **The Ghost**

 **A Few Moments Earlier**

Kanan blinked when the cargo door opened and he saw the kid that he'd been chasing wielding a yellow bladed lightsabre. As he watched the kid, moving with a speed that to anyone other than another Force user would have seemed to have been not much more than a blur, used the lightsabre to parry the bolts of laser fire being fired at him by the attacking TIE fighter – sending the deadly shafts of energy flying off in multiple directions.

 _Good but his movements are somewhat amateurish,_ he thought watching the effective but at the same time somewhat poorly executed deflection – had it been him he would have sent all the laser blasts back towards the TIE, even if he failed to hit it, instead of batting them all over the place. It was obvious that while he could use the lightsabre he was holding the kid wasn't that experienced doing it, nor had he really been formally trained in any of the lightsabre combat forms to even a basic level. The mystery this youngling presented him with was only growing the more he watched him, as while the kid had some skill, and seemed to have a hell of a lot of raw power, he was very inexperienced. Thinking about it Kanan realised that it was almost like the kid knew the theory far more than the practice.

He was beginning to wonder if the kid even had a master. Had he instead found the lightsabre and a holocron – possibly, going on the colour of his blade, originally having belonged to a Jedi Sentinel who'd been killed either during the Clone Wars or Order 66 – and been just one of those one in a million people who figured out how to use the Force to open it on his own? It would definitely explain a few things if that was indeed the case.

He made a mental note to meditate on it a bit later, after he had a chance to talk to the kid. And it looked like he was about to get his chance to talk to him for it was at that moment that Hera remotely opened fire with the forward cannons. The attacking TIE was hit immediately and blown into a thousand burning pieces that crashed to earth and burned quietly amid the generally mostly fireproof grasses of Lothal's prairies. The action catching the kid's attention as he spun around and, still clutching the active lightsabre, saw him.

"You want a ride," Kanan called out to the kid hoping he would take the offer, which would give them time talk, especially as he could hear more TIE's coming. He reached out with the Force enough to tell that the kid was torn. "Kid you got a better option," he asked knowing fighting so many fighters at once was too much even for a trained Jedi let alone a pseudo-Jedi like the kid seemed to be.

For another moment it looked like the kid was going to ignore him and try to engage the TIE's anyway. But then he deactivated the lightsabre and returned it to the backpack he was wearing before looking back at the discarded cargo crate near the remains of his speeder – which had now stopped burning. Kanan didn't have to be a Jedi to know he was intending to retrieve it. "Leave the crate you'll never make it," he cautioned as the youngling ran up to it and reactivated the repulsor units.

Somewhat predictably the kid ignored him and started running towards the _Ghost_ pushing the crate in front of him. Even from here Kanan could sense the kid gathering the Force around him. _Oh Force tell me he's not going to do what I think he's going to do,_ he thought a moment before the kid rocketed off the ground, pushing the crate ahead of him.

 _Okay now that's impressive,_ he thought as the kid landing on the ramp next to him still holding the crate. After giving the kid an impressed look Kanan helped him push the crate inside the ship. The ramp folding up and the door closing with a whirr of powerful hydraulics behind them. A faint shiver of acceleration ran through the deck, and a brief whir of power filled the air, as the _Ghost's_ own ion fission engines came to life and they began ascending towards space.

Kanan ignored it with the ease of someone who was long used to such things. Constantly moving around on starships had been what had saved his life after everything he'd ever known was destroyed when the clone army turned on the Jedi during Order 66. Though from the way he stopped near the door the sudden motion of the ship caught the kid by surprise as he looked around warily. _Probably his first time ever on a ship,_ Kanan thought as he brought the crate to a halt and deactivated its repulsors before turning in place to really examine the kid.

He was immediately surprised by how young he was, from the looks of things the kid had to be no older than fourteen, and how roughly he was dressed. The kid was wearing mismatched boots, one was white the other black, a tatty orange jumpsuit that had clearly seen better days and a light brown half jacket. Such a clothing mismatch, coupled with the wariness in his expression at being the company of what were to him strangers, easily marked the kid down as a street rat. Which was just more confirmation to Kanan that the kid didn't have a master and now that he thought about it might not even have any parents.

He didn't have any more time to think about it as at that moment Zeb opened the crate that he and the kid had just brought aboard. To reveal the cargo of EM-11 blaster rifles contained within. The moment he saw them the kid's eyes lit up and he stepped forward.

"Whoa," Ezra said stepping forward and picking up one of the rifles. Military grade rifles like this one sold for a lot on the black market, if could sell even one crate of the things then not only would he get enough money to buy the power cell he needed to finish his lightsabre but he'd be able to get enough food to last right up till when the monsoon rains started in three months' time. Force willing he'd even get enough to buy a new jumpsuit as his current one was on its last legs and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep patching the thing up. "Do you have any idea how much these are worth on the black market?" he asked looking at the other three people in the bay didn't realise how valuable these things were. If they didn't then he might be able to convince them to let him leave with them.

"I do actually," Kanan replied a slight frown as he sensed an underlying reason why the kid was interested in the blaster rifles and how much they were worth on the black market. It was clear that he wanted something, that the rifles were the key to something for him. Not that he had any intention of letting the kid take them as he'd told him they already had plans for those rifles.

"Don't get any ideas," Zeb warned glaring at the kid who'd caused them so much trouble back in the city. If he hadn't dropped in on them and brazenly stolen that speeder bike and its attached cargo, forcing them to chase him through the streets and have the occasional running gunfight with the bucket heads, they would have gotten clean away by now. As it was, thanks to his intervention, things were very precarious for them now…

…a fact that was proven a moment later as a violent evasive manoeuvre pulled them all slightly sideways in a momentary loss of stability in the ships artificial gravity field.

"They're mine," Ezra objected.

"If you hadn't interfered with us…" Zeb growled back as he put the lid back on the crate and started forward to get in the interfering menaces face, intent on intimidating him into backing down. Only that's not what he got for as soon as he started to step forward the kid just looked at him. And suddenly Zeb found himself stumbling as something invisible grabbed abruptly his legs and stopped him moving. He immediately had to pinwheel his arms to prevent himself overbalancing.

Guessing Kanan was intervening he turned his head to glare at the Jedi. Only to see his features were completely impassive, like when he was restraining a reaction, though the amusement showing in his aquamarine eyes made it clear that what he was holding back was a laugh or at very least a chuckle.

"Kid let him go," Kanan said after a few moments of letting Zeb stew, the Lasat needed to learn that not all problems could be solved with intimidation, startling said Lasat who turned his head to look back at their unexpected guest in shock. The kid was Force sensitive? And more than that actually had some idea how to use it? "Zeb's not going to hurt you let him go," Kanan continued drawing the kid's attention for a moment.

"Alright," Ezra said after a moment releasing his telekinetic hold on the Lasat's legs making the tall purple furred alien stumble as he could suddenly move again. Zeb glared at him momentarily and he couldn't resist giving a cheeky salute with two fingers – just like he'd done back in the market place – drawing a laugh out of the female Mandalorian.

"I said you had guts kid," Sabine said amused though she was as surprised as Zeb to learn that the kid was not only a Force sensitive but had some idea how to use it. _This is certainly going to make things interesting around here as Kanan's probably not going to let him leave the ship now,_ she thought, _not if he can help it anyway._

She couldn't help but wonder if they were about to gain another crew member, they definitely would if Kanan ended up taking the kid as an apprentice. Assuming the kid wasn't someone else's padawan already. After all Kanan had survived Order 66 so what was to say that other Jedi hadn't as well, as not all the Jedi had travelled in the company of squads of clone troopers. Could this kid be the padawan of one of those surviving Jedi?

"My name's not kid," Ezra replied. "It's Ezra. Ezra Bridger."

 _Bridger where have I heard that name before,_ Kanan thought as the kids surname struck a chord of familiarity in him. He'd definitely heard the name Bridger before, but where and when escaped him at the moment. Plus he currently had more important things to worry about, like getting away from pursuing Imperials who, going on the increasingly violent evasive manoeuvres of the _Ghost_ , seemed to be in a doggedly persistent mood today.

"I need to get up to the bridge keep an eye on Ezra," he instructed them as he started climbing the ladder that connected to the main deck. "Oh and Ezra as I told you back on the surface we have plans for that crate so today isn't going to be your lucky day."

He felt rather than saw the kids scowl back before he climbed the ladder which opened straight onto the bridge. Where both Chopper and Hera were waiting for him. "You said this was a routine mission," Hera told him as she banked to avoid a burst of laser fire from the pursuing Imperial TIE fighters. "What happened down there?"

Chopper echoed the question in sharp binary while blocking the Jedi's path, bitterly complaining about the fact that they had four hostile fighters attacking them. "Chopper not now it's been a difficult, and interesting, morning," Kanan replied letting some annoyance into his voice as he stepped around the cantankerous astromech.

"He does have a point love," Hera pointed out. "We've got four TIE's closing in."

"Hera how about a little less attitude and a little more altitude," Kanan said to the Twi'lek who responded by violently banking the ship sending him stumbling into the co-pilots seat. "If I didn't know better I'd say you did that one on purpose."

"If you knew better we wouldn't be in this situation. Seriously Kanan what happened down there?"

Kanan sighed and looked back at the security monitor turned to the main cargo bay. To see that Ezra had moved and was now sitting meditation style on top of the crate. "He did," he admitted knowing he would have to throw the Twi'lek pilot a bone or should keep on about it. Hera glanced back and blinked in surprise.

"A kid tripped you up," she said incredulous. "Must be some kid. Spill."

"Aren't you kind of busy at the moment," Kanan complained as the first volley of laser fire from the pursuing TIE's thudding into the shields rattled the ship.

"Spill."

With a sigh, and wondering why he ever bothered to argue with Hera as he never won, Kanan began explaining everything that had happened.

* * *

"Look I was only doing what you were, stealing to survive," Ezra said as he sat on top of the crate that contained the blaster rifles. He'd instinctively assumed the classic Jedi meditative seating posture, without actually meditating, as it was the most comfortable way he had to sit down back in his tower especially as he didn't really have any chairs.

"You have no idea what we were doing," Zeb snapped back. "You don't know us."

"And normally I wouldn't want to. But the Force has been driving me crazy all day to meet you guys for some reason," Ezra replied causing both Lasat and Mandalorian to blink – though naturally only Zeb's reaction could be seen – in surprise.

"What do you mean," Sabine asked curious.

"I've felt an odd tremor in the Force all day. The kind that lets someone like me know that something is coming," Ezra admitted while rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He generally didn't speak openly about the Force, and his connection to it, to anyone as it was just far too dangerous in this day and age. But somehow he knew he could trust these people with his secret, especially given they had another like him here already. "The feeling ultimately led me into town and right to you guys, think it wanted me to encounter you for some reason that's best known only to itself."

Sabine frowned thoughtfully as she mulled that over. While she didn't know much about the Force, and understood even less about its more quasi-mystical elements, she knew it wouldn't do something like that without a good reason. And she had a good idea what that reason was, especially if the kid lacked a master. The Force was trying to force him and Kanan together, to become master and padawan. _I wonder if Kanan realises that this is the Forces intention,_ she mused a moment before a very violent evasive manoeuvre threw her and everyone else to the floor of the cargo bay with Ezra landing on top of Zeb.

"Get off," Zeb grunted as the surprisingly heavy kid landed on him, but then in his experience humans tended to be heavier than they generally looked. Plus he felt something fall out of the kids backpack and land on his foot something metallic that made him yelp slightly as it hit the sensitive pressure pads on the underside of his feet. "Karabast what was that," he growled as the kid got off him.

Looking for what had hit his foot he was startle to see a lightsabre rolling along the floor and stopping when it hit Sabine's boots, and from the look of the kids backpack it had obviously fallen out of there. _This kids got a lightsabre,_ he thought incredulously. It was one thing to find out that Ezra was Force sensitive and actually knew something of how to use it, but quite another to find out the kid had a lightsabre as well. He had to wonder where he'd gotten it as he was far too young to be a Jedi survivor of Order 66 like Kanan was. Had he merely found it and started working out how to use the thing? Or was there something else going on.

He was still thinking that over when Sabine bent down and picked up the lightsabre. "Here," she said holding out the weapon for the kid to take if from her while simultaneously looking at it curiously noting the differences between this lightsabre and Kanan's. The lightsabre she was holding had a more solid construction and unlike Kanan's obviously couldn't come apart into two pieces that could be hidden on his belt and look like any of the innocuous tools any career spacer would usually have on them. It was also well used going on the scuff marks in the metal casing as well as the wear pattern she could see around the handgrip.

Ezra accepted the weapon off her. "Thanks," he said as he slipped off his backpack and slipped the lightsabre back into its secret compartment, making sure to close it properly this time.

"That lightsabre looked well used," Sabine commented. "Where did you get it?"

"I guess you can say it's an heirloom. It belonged to my dad," Ezra admitted truthfully as he slipped the backpack back on. He didn't know why he felt like he could trust these people with that particular truth that he was the son of a Jedi, but somehow it just felt right. "I'm not very good with it, doesn't fit me properly and there is only so much you can learn from holodisk recordings. They're all I've had to learn from since the Empire took my parents away when I was seven."

 _Poor kid,_ Sabine thought guessing exactly what had happened to Ezra. His parents must have spoken out against the Empire, protested in some way as such things happened from time to time all over the galaxy. Only to be taken by the Empire on a charge of treason or sedition that was no doubt heavily trumped up as such was the Imperial way of doing things. They certainly wouldn't care about breaking up a family and leaving a kid to struggle to survive on his own, knowing that in most cases the child would succumb to hunger or the merciless elements. In fact, in the Imperials eyes it would be a perfect example of the price of standing up to the rule of the Empire.

The only good thing for the kid was that the Empire were apparently unaware of his Force sensitivity. She knew what happened to Force sensitives if the Empire found out about them, back at the Imperial Academy on Mandalore more than one cadet she'd known had suddenly disappeared after showing signs of having some Force ability. She'd later found out that said cadets were often killed and said to have perished in training accidents, only a handful would be taken off world usually by black armour wearing individuals that even to a non-Force sensitive like herself literally reeked of evil. She often shuddered to think what the fate of those particular individuals had been.

It was one of the reasons why she'd turned against the Empire.

Abruptly the deck beneath them shook as heavy volleys of laser fire from the pursuing TIE's slammed into the shields. "Karabast they're persistent today," Zeb growled before heading to the ladder to go up to the main level.

"I take it this happens to you often," Ezra commented as another volley of Imperial laser fire raked the ship, in the distance he faintly heard a _pew, pew, pew_ sound as Kanan or whoever else was on the ship fired back.

"On a regular basis," Sabine answered as a faint shiver of concussion went through the deck, the kind that only happened when a TIE blew up close to the hull. "Though the Imperials are not normally this persistent."

 _We've probably stolen off them one too many times,_ she thought guessing that was the reason for the TIE fighters unusual persistence in trying to halt their escape. The commander of the Imperial garrison on Lothal was thus probably under pressure from both his superiors like Governor Price and the Imperial Security Bureau to catch them. After all the Imperials hated it when someone embarrassed them so often though, given how the storm troopers assigned to Lothal couldn't seem to hit the broadside of a barn half the time, it was kind of hard not to.

As the Mandalorian in front of him spoke Ezra inwardly grimaced feeling more than a twinge of guilt and self-doubt. Were the Imperials being so persistent because of him? Had the first TIE pilot reported seeing him use his father's lightsabre to deflect his laser fire to his superiors in the handful of seconds between breaking off his initial firing pass and the crew of this ship shooting him down? He honestly didn't know and the Force was not being at all helpful in that regard either, which wasn't too surprising as in his experience the Force could at times be a somewhat capricious thing.

Another volley of laser fire jolting the ship brought him out of those thoughts a moment before a whirring sound came from somewhere in the back of the ship. It grew in intensity until dying down suddenly into a background humming that hadn't been there before the Imperials began firing lasers at them. "What was that," Ezra asked looking around.

"The hyperdrive," Sabine replied.

"You mean we're in hyperspace now?" Ezra asked not sure how he felt about that, he'd never even been into Lothal orbit before let alone travelled through the higher dimensional space used for FTL propulsion.

"Yes," Sabine confirmed taking off her helmet. Ezra blinked when he saw a female face only a few years older than his own, a face framed by the most unusual blue and blond hair combination that he'd ever seen. "I'm Sabine by the way, Sabine Wren."

"Nice to meet you, Sabine," Ezra replied a moment before the comm system came to life.

"Sabine please bring our guest up to the common room," Kanan said over the comm, his voice echoing slightly off the bulkheads.

"On it, Kanan," Sabine said into the comm unit on her wrist as opposed to the one in her helmet before looking at Ezra. "Come on."

Ezra nodded in acceptance, knowing he was hardly in a position to refuse especially if they really were in hyperspace now and he had no reason to believe that they weren't, before gesturing for the Mandalorian to lead the way. Sabine smiled back and led the way to and up the ladder with Ezra following close behind her pushing down his nerves at facing what was sure to be a lot of questions from this ship's crew but especially the Force sensitive man, who he'd already twigged was a Jedi as though it had been eight years since he'd last seen his father he knew what Jedi mental shields felt like.

Stepping off the ladder he followed Sabine through the ship, noting how despite it being a small ship that the interior was surprisingly spacious and appeared to be in perfect working order. Clearly this group took great pride in keeping their ship in great shape and given they seemed to like pissing off the Empire – something he could easily get behind for any number of reasons beyond the obvious ones – that was a good thing.

After a few more moments they came into what was clearly the ships common area as it had all the features of one like a circular couch and a holo-chess board. The rest of the crew were already waiting for them, including two he'd never met before. One being a green skinned female Twi'lek dressed in practical non-nonsense pilot clothing, she had an air of toughness but also a strange matronly aura of care and compassion – something that was sadly in very short supply in the galaxy these days. The other was a beat up old astromech droid that looked like it had been repaired using second hand mismatched parts.

After a second he sighed. "Okay where do you want to start," he asked knowing that they might as well get the interrogation over with. Maybe then he could find out just why the Force had manoeuvred him into this position.

"First off introductions," Kanan replied.

"I've already met Sabine and Zeb," Ezra answered, "but I don't know who you are well beyond the fact that you're a Jedi."

Kanan raised an eyebrow. "How did you know," he asked surprised and once more impressed by this kid. _He must have been able to tell from my shields,_ he thought.

"Your shields they feel like my dad's did," Ezra answered confirming his hypothesis. "He used to touch my mind all the time, and I'd touch his so I know what Jedi mind shields feel like. Until the Empire took him and mom away."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kanan replied, "was he a Jedi? Your father?"

"He used to be," Ezra confirmed. "He left before the Clone Wars ended, after he met and fell in love with my mother."

Kanan's eyes widened as he abruptly realised just where he'd heard the name Bridger before. Only two Jedi had voluntarily left the Order before the end of the Clone Wars. And only one of them had been a human. "Ephraim Bridger was your father," he asked.

"You knew him?"

"I know of him," Kanan answered, "Jedi Knight Ephraim Bridger, a very high ranking Sentinel and the deputy head of Temple Security. His leaving the order caused quite a stir." _And isn't that putting it mildly,_ he thought knowing it had been the talk of the Jedi Temple for weeks afterwards, especially among the padawans and knights as it wasn't every day that such a high ranking Sentinel chose to leave the order for reasons that had been unknown to them at the time. Hell even the Masters had talked about it, he clearly recalled his own Master Depa Billaba talking with Master Shaak Ti about it before they'd made that journey to Kellar and the Togruta master returned to Kamino.

In many ways it had been an even bigger stir than the departure of Master Skywalker's padawan Ahsoka Tano several months earlier following the temple bombings. _I wonder if she's still alive somewhere out there,_ he thought idly thinking about Ahsoka Tano for a few moments. Even after becoming Skywalker's padawan she'd been nice, always made time to help the younglings and her fellow padawan learners with their studies – well when she hadn't been on the front line with her master kicking Separatist butt.

"We're getting off track though," he said "introductions. Since you've already met Sabine and Zeb, let me introduced you to Hera Syndulla, the owner and captain of this ship," he gestured to the Twi'lek. "Hera this is Ezra."

"Hello," Hera said smiling warmly at the kid who smiled shyly and nodded back. She was surprised to learn that the kid was the son of a very high ranked Jedi Knight who'd left the order before the Clone Wars ended. Though it certainly explained how he had at least some knowledge of the Force, his father had to have taught him a bit about it, trained him somewhat before the Empire took him and his wife away for some reason. It also explained where the lightsabre he apparently had come from – it had probably been his fathers.

"This is Chopper," Kanan said gesturing the cantankerous astromech who bleeped a hello. "And my name is Kanan Jarrus."

"Okay now that the formalities are out of the way can we address the rancor in the room," Zeb said looking at Ezra. "Why'd you interfere with us in the city?"

"As I told you down in the cargo bay, the Force wanted me to meet you for some reason. Why I have no idea."

Kanan frowned. "The Force never does anything without a reason," he mused aloud, "have you tried meditating on it?"

"All morning," Ezra admitted, "but it remained a vague feeling until that star destroyer arrived over the city. Then I went into the city and ended up following the feeling to that rooftop, though on my way there I did have to make a slight detour to help a merchant being falsely accused of treason by your standard issue Imperial officer. It's only when I saw you Kanan that I knew that the Force wanted me to meet you for some reason."

"Strange," Kanan mused a suspicion starting to grow in his mind as to what the Force was playing at with forcing the meeting between himself and Ezra. It was obvious from his demonstrations on the planet that Ezra was strong with the Force, very strong in fact, but was very inexperienced with only the most basic of skills that were probably barely at initiate level given how old he would have been when his father and Jedi master was taken from him. Did the Force want him to step up and act as the kids teacher?

 _But that's crazy,_ he thought, _I can't be a master as I was never even a knight thanks to that Sith-spawned Order 66. So how can I take on an apprentice of my own._ He decided he would meditate on that a bit later, maybe talk it over in private with Hera as well.

"As you said the Force never does anything without a reason," Ezra reminded him, "even if we don't know the reason."

"Yes it can be maddening when it does that," Kanan agreed. "I'll meditate on it later, maybe see if I can figure out what the Force wants." _Even if I've already got a good idea what I'm going to find,_ he thought.

"Mind if I join you?" Ezra asked, desperate to get an answer to why the Force had been bugging him so much today.

"Not at all. But it will have to wait a bit."

"Why?" Ezra asked a moment before a bleeping alarm went off. "What's that?"

"The navi-computer," Hera answered, "it's time to drop out of hyperspace and reverse course back to Lothal. We've got a few deliveries to make."

"The blaster rifles," Ezra questioned.

"Among other things," Hera confirmed as she stood up. "Excuse me," she added as she left the room to return to the cockpit to reverse their course for Lothal. They had another few hours before they were due to meet with Vizago about the rifles, but thankfully they had another delivery to make first as not all the crates contained weapons destined for the galactic black market.

It didn't take her long to reach the cockpit and slide into her familiar seat. A quick adjustment of the throttles brought the _Ghost_ out of hyperspace, before she made a 180 degree about turn, before pushing the throttles forward again re-engaging the hyperdrive. As the space outside turned into star lines once again before blurring into the blue tunnel of hyperspace travel she leaned back in the pilots chair as her thoughts turned to Ezra.

While she wasn't a Jedi she had a very good idea why the Force had arranged for him and Kanan to meet in the way that they had. It was trying to push them together, to become master and padawan. She wouldn't be surprised if Kanan knew that, or at very least suspected, was the Force's intention. Though she knew Kanan could also be the king of procrastination, as well as the king of stubbornness on things like this.

The sound of the cockpit doors opening caught her attention, followed by familiar footsteps. "You know why the Force has done this don't you," she said as the object of her thoughts slid into the co-pilot's seat next to her.

"Yeah I know," Kanan said with a sigh.

"So are you going to ask him?"

"Not yet. As I said I want to meditate on it first," Kanan answered, "becoming a master is a big step, Hera. It's also a huge responsibility. I don't know if I'm ready for it. Plus, I want to get to know the kid a little bit more first."

"Fair enough," Hera replied, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt for now on the issue of taking Ezra as a padawan. "So where is Ezra now?"

"Still in the common room," Kanan replied, "Sabine's keeping an eye on him, make sure he doesn't wander off anywhere. Zeb's going to go back down to the cargo bay to organise the crates we need to drop off at Tarkintown."

"I see."

* * *

 **Capital City**

 **Lothal, That Same Time**

Agent Lucius Kallus frowned as he gazed down upon the alleyway where the insurgents had ambushed and hijacked the cargo of supplies that had been meant to be taken up to the _Lawgiver_ ready for when she left tomorrow. The pattern of the attack, and the speed and precision with which it had been executed was all too familiar with a crew who'd been working the cities of Lothal on and off for months now. Disrupting Imperial shipments, occasionally blowing up TIE fighters and generally making a very big nuisance of themselves.

He had to admit the insurgents were good, functioning as a well-oiled team that honestly reminded him of some of the special operations groups he'd worked with during the last year of the Clone Wars. He would enjoy taking them down and hauling them off to face Imperial justice, it would be quite a challenge. And he so enjoyed such things.

"They knew our protocols and were waiting in position," the nasally voice of Commandant Aresko said from behind him, obviously attempting to explain how his men had failed to stop the heist.

"I have no doubt that they did," Kallus replied. "You're not the first on Lothal to be hit by this crew, commandant. They've been making quite a nuisance of themselves the last few months."

"I assume that's why you're here, Agent Kallus."

"Indeed. The Imperial Security Bureau pays attention to patterns," Kallus said turning to face the other officer. "When the Empire's operations are targeted on such an ongoing basis it signifies the potential for far more than just the theft of crates and occasional sabotage. It can signify the start of rebellion."

Aresko frowned at that. He was well aware that dissatisfaction with the Empire had been growing in some parts of the Lothal citizenry, people who objected to the sometimes admittedly harsh actions that had to be taken to ensure planetary security. But was it really getting to the point where a rebellion was likely to begin? Surely the people knew what they were doing was ultimately for their own good, especially after the chaos of the Clone Wars.

"Is it that serious," he asked.

"Not at present," Kallus confirmed. "It is but a spark of rebellion at the moment. A spark that we will snuff out before it can start a fire. Mark my words commandant the next time the insurgents make a move to disrupt our operations I'll be ready for them."

"I understand. Is there anything you wish me to do in the meantime?"

"Only review the security arrangements on all our shipments. I don't want a repeat of this heist."

"As you wish."

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Well here's chapter two of this AU done. I know I'm probably not quite capturing Ezra as he is in the series but that's on purpose as this version of Ezra is a bit different to the one we know and love due to his prior knowledge of the Force.**

 **I hope people don't mind that I've given Kallus an actual first name as looking around I couldn't find a first name for him anywhere so I gave him one. And I think Lucius actually quite fits him.  
**

 **Finally, I want to reassure all my readers that I haven't forgotten any of my other fanfics, in fact I am currently in the middle of writing new chapters for Pioneers Dawn, Second Chances, This Isn't Kansas and Wolf's Dawn. So no need to worry about me abandoning any of them in favour of this one.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Star Wars Rebels: A Slightly Different Path**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own these characters, all Star Wars Rebels remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three**_

 **The Ghost**

Kanan was deep in thought as he left the bridge, and Hera, and began making his way back towards the common room. As he'd told Hera he had a very good idea what the Force wanted, why it had arranged for him and Ezra to meet here and now. He hadn't been surprised that she'd known it as well, as unlike Zeb and Sabine she'd met other Jedi back when she'd been a little girl and Jedi led clone forces freed Ryloth from Separatist occupation. He was just grateful that she'd agreed to give him time to think and meditate on it instead of trying to force the issue then and there.

He just wished he could stop thinking about it himself. It was after all an absolutely crazy idea, and he had to wonder what in the universe the Force thought it was doing by trying to impose this upon the two of them. There was no way he could be a master. He wasn't even a proper Jedi Knight due to Order 66 and the death of his master before she could finish teaching him all he needed to pass the trials and become a knight. So how could he become a teacher in the Jedi way to anyone let alone someone as gifted in the Force as Ezra seemed to be? Though what was even more insane was that there was a part of him – a part that felt far more like Caleb than Kanan – that actually wanted it, wanted to have that Force bond with another of his kind again.

Abruptly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as a faint echo of a presence that had once been the entire world to him came through the Force. One that seemed to be calling him to go to his cabin. Following the feeling he changed direction and went straight to his cabin. The moment the doors closed behind him he closed his eyes for a moment and let the Force flow through him even more than he normally did.

"Caleb," a half forgotten female voice said sounding both real and ethereal at the same time. At the sound of his almost forgotten birth name Kanan's eyes flew open...

…to find himself face to face with a transparent blue woman in Jedi robes. She was a Force ghost and as he translucent hands reached up and pulled back her hood it was immediately obvious who she was.

"Master," he breathed feeling his eyes begin to sting slightly with the emotions that wanted to come out. Though it had been fifteen years since that terrible day the loss of his master, especially how she'd sacrificed herself for him, was still a painful wound in his soul. A wound that he knew would never truly heal.

"Hello Caleb," the Force ghost form of Master Depa Billaba said smiling warmly at her old padawan. He had grown so much since she'd last seen him, she'd been watching him from the Force for years and had quietly despaired as for a long time he'd turned his back on the Jedi way becoming both a drunk and a drifter, moving from system to system and job to job never staying anywhere for very long until that was he met one Hera Syndulla on Gorse six years ago. Since then he'd steadily pushed that black period in his life behind him and started to re-embrace the ways that had once been so dear to him, and now it was time for him to take the next step to being the Jedi he'd always been meant to be. "Though I believe you call yourself Kanan these days."

"Yes master," Kanan replied. "Master if I may ask what you are…"

"…doing here," Depa finished for him. "I've always been with you, watching you my old padawan but until now it was not time for you to see me. Now the Force is letting us meet again, at least for a little while. You have questions?"

"I have many," Kanan admitted bringing a smile to the ghost's face as she well remembered his habit of regularly bombarding her with questions during his apprenticeship. "But I'll settle just for this one. Why has the Force done this? Why is it trying to push me and Ezra together?"

"Because you need each other," Depa answered with the smile that had always made him feel safe, even during the darkest days of the Clone Wars. "Teaching Ezra, becoming his master as I was with you is the next step on your journey to becoming the Jedi that you were born to be. Just as you are Ezra's next step on his own path to becoming the Jedi that he was born to be. You can learn much from each other as both of you have skills that the other lacks. Do not the ghosts of the past, and your own fears, affect what must be.

"It is not just yours and Ezra's future that depends upon it," she continued, "but the future of the Jedi, and the only chance to truly drive back the darkness that has fallen upon the galaxy and the Force depend on it as well."

"Master I'm afraid that I don't understand," Kanan replied with a puzzled frown on his face and wondering just what it was about Jedi Masters that made them love being so maddeningly cryptic. It was one of the few things that he hadn't missed about the Order.

"Look in my holocron, I know that you still have it. Look for the Prophecy of Three," Depa told him, "I cannot tell you who the others are but I can tell you this that Ezra is one of the three it speaks about. I would say more but unfortunately I have no more time. The only advice I can give you is to trust yourself, trust the Force and it will not see you wrong."

As soon as she finished speaking the Force ghost of his former master faded away leaving Kanan once more alone in his quarters now more than a little confused. _What's the Prophecy of Three,_ he thought as he didn't remember hearing about that particular prophecy back at the temple, the only prophecy they'd ever been taught about was the Prophecy of the Chosen One. And the belief by the Jedi Council that Anakin Skywalker was said Chosen One. Though that had obviously proven incorrect as like most of the other Jedi Skywalker had certainly perished during Order 66 no doubt shot in the back by his own troops when Palpatine gave the fateful command.

He made a quick mental note to access the holocron later and look it up. He did not have time at the moment as a change in the engine pitch told him that they were dropping out of hyperspace over Lothal. He had the supplies to drop off at Tarkintown first, then there was the meeting with Vizago and the rifle trade to deal with. Plus, he would need to talk to Ezra and see if the younger Force sensitive was indeed willing to become his apprentice. He wouldn't make the formal offer to take the teen as a padawan learner if he wasn't willing to at least consider it.

His comm bleeped to life at the moment making him jump. "Kanan we're coming in to land at Tarkintown. You need to get down to the main cargo bay," Hera's voice said from the tiny grill as he retrieved the offending object from his belt.

"On my way, Hera," he replied into the unit before returning the comm to his belt and leaving his quarters pushing all other thoughts, including his former master's prophecy mention, out of his mind for now. There would be time to think about, and to meditate, on it all later. Right now he had a mission of mercy to oversee.

* * *

 **Sometime Later**

Ezra sat a short distance from the boarding ramp of the _Ghost_ deep in thought. Kanan and the rest of the ship's crew, with the exception of the astromech Chopper, were currently down in the refugee camp a few dozen meters away from where he was currently sitting on a convenient boulder. He'd initially gone with them down into the camp, named Tarkintown by the people who had no choice but to live there after the camps namesake stole their homes and lands from them for Force only knew what Imperial purposes.

But he hadn't stayed there for long.

After a few minutes the feeling of despair, helplessness and sorrow that had hung like an all smothering fog in the air of the camp had started getting to him a bit, the same empathic awareness that let him connect with animals so easily coming back to bite him. He'd never been around such a strong concentration of such negative feelings and emotions before and keeping it out of his head had put an uncomfortable amount of pressure on his shields. So, after telling that Lasat where he was going he'd returned here.

Now he was here deep in thought, his mind occupied by everything that had happened to him today. From the odd sensation in the Force that had bothered him all morning, to encountering the _Ghost_ crew and finding himself here on a part of Lothal that he'd personally never been to before. Not that it looked any different to the prairie grounds around the capital city as much of the supercontinent that made up Lothal's primary landmass was like this. He was experienced enough to know that everything had happened was the will of the Force, he just wished he knew why.

As if in answer to that thought he felt a shiver in the Force. Closing his eyes he opened himself up a little more to it and felt like something aboard the _Ghost_ was calling to him. After a moment he decided that he had nothing to lose by following the feeling so he opened his eyes and stood up, brushed some dust off himself and made his way inside the ship.

It didn't take him long to follow the beacon in the Force to a locked cabin on the ship's crew deck. Seeing the locked door Ezra hesitated, knowing that if he opened it then he would be violating someone's privacy, something he was normally much loathed to do. But with the pulling sensation in the Force so strong he closed his eyes for a moment and reached out with the Force, feeling the doors locking mechanism in his mind. It was a standard civilian model lock, held closed with high strength locking pins. A quick telekinetic nudge caused the pins to retract unlocking the door, a second telekinetic nudge causing the doors to smoothly open with a faint swish. Opening his eyes Ezra smiled at the now open door before slipping easily inside.

He was completely unaware that he'd been seen.

* * *

 **Tarkintown**

Kanan smiled as he felt some of the despair and hopelessness lift from the refugees forced to struggle to survive in the ramshackle shelters of Tarkintown. The relief supplies they'd brought from the capital weren't much but they'd at least help the people here survive for another couple of days. He just wished there was more they could do for them, unfortunately there wasn't and it made the Jedi in him angry to see proud people reduced to such a pitiful state by the faceless, merciless military machine of the Empire.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he might want to, there was nothing he could do to redress the injustice done to these people by the Empire. The only thing he could do, the only thing the entire crew of the _Ghost_ could do, was exactly what they were doing now. Bringing the people food and medical supplies to at least make their bleak existence just that little bit more bearable. _Still doesn't stop me wishing I could do more,_ he thought sadly a moment before his comm bleeped.

"Spectre One here," he said taking the small cylindrical device off his belt. Immediately the electronic bleeps of Chopper, speaking in rapid fire binary, came from the device. Kanan frowned as he mentally translated what the astromech was saying. "What do you mean the kids come back to the _Ghost_ and gone into my cabin? I thought he was with Zeb and how did he even get the door open."

Chopper responded with another barrage of bleeps. "He used the Force to unlock and open the door," Kanan repeated surprised, he'd known the kid had some impressive Force skills already – the force ghost of his former master had confirmed that – but he hadn't realised he had enough fine telekinetic control to do something like that. "No Chopper don't do anything, I'll come right back and deal with it. Spectre One out."

Returning the comm to its place on his belt Kanan looked around and spotted Hera nearby prompting him to quickly walk over. He gestured to indicate they needed to talk a moment, causing the Twi'lek to throw him a look of concern before moving away from the refugee's she'd been talking to. They both kept moving until they were out of the earshot of any of the refugees.

"What is it," Hera asked. Kanan quickly explained the situation, prompting an expression of mixture surprise and concern to flash across her beautiful features. Like him she was surprised to learn that Ezra had enough fine control with his abilities to open locked doors. "What do you want to do," she asked after he'd finished speaking.

"I want you and the others to finish up here," Kanan replied, "also find out why Zeb didn't tell us that Ezra was going back to the ship. In the meantime I'll head back to the ship and talk to Ezra."

"I'm surprised you don't appear to be angry with him violating your privacy?" Hera commented.

"Normally I would be," Kanan admitted. "But I sense the hand of the Force in this. That's why I need to go back to the ship… alone."

Though it was clear from her expression that Hera wasn't happy with that announcement she nodded in understanding and acceptance. She'd known Kanan long enough by now to know when he said something like that he meant it, knew that it was some Force or Jedi related thing that she would never understand since she wasn't a Force sensitive herself. "Alright I'll talk to the others and finish up here," she said, "while you go straight back to the ship."

Kanan nodded back and hurriedly walked away, heading in the direction of the _Ghost_. Hera watched him go for a moment, not for the first time marvelling at how far Kanan had come from the moody drunken freighter pilot she'd met on Gorse six years ago. In that time he'd really started to reembrace his Jedi past and the powers that came with it, which had made him a formidable and valuable fighter for the slowly growing rebellion against the Empire. And if she was right then he was about to gain something that was incredibly important to a Jedi – a padawan in the form of one Ezra Bridger.

After a moment she put that out of her mind for now and headed towards where Zeb was supervising the distribution of the last of the food supplies. She was fully intent on getting answers out of the Lasat warrior as to when exactly Ezra had returned to the ship, and why he hadn't thought to inform the rest of them of the young Force user's departure.

* * *

 **Kanan's Cabin**

 **The Ghost, That Same Time**

Ezra waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the cabin. He could have turned on the main lights, instead of the rooms nightlights but that would certainly show up on the ships systems monitors as a power spike. Which would certainly bring the astromech Chopper to investigate what had caused it, and the very last thing he wanted was for anyone to find him here.

Once his eyes finished adjusting to the low light he looked curiously around the cabin. It was quite a barren room with no real personnel effects present. Off to one side was a circular platform on top of which was a cushion that looked big enough for someone to knell comfortably on. He could tell immediately that this room was Kanan's as the Jedi's Force signature was everywhere. _I wonder why the Force has led me in here,_ he thought as he continued to listen to the silent sirens call in the Force, which seemed to be leading him over to the bed – or rather to something underneath it.

Squatting down Ezra carefully examined the base of the bed. At a first or even second glance it seemed to be nothing but a plane sheet of metal but as he looked closer he could see the faintest outline of a hidden drawer. Cautiously he reached out and pressed the drawer causing it to spring open. Inside he saw a series of small compartments – lying in the largest one was a lightsabre which wasn't surprising given the older Force sensitive was a Jedi. But it wasn't the lightsabre that was calling to him, instead sitting in the next compartment was a metallic cube with clear diamond shaped inserts on all the faces. He couldn't help but gasp as though he'd never seen one in person he knew immediately from the information his father had left him what the cube was.

It was a holocron.

Reverently, knowing just how precious it and the information it contained were, he lifted it out of its slot and closed the drawer. Then he sat on the floor, slipping into the meditative posture with practiced ease. He closed his eyes and let the Force guide him, felt an invisible tendril of power reach out gently from his mind and caress the holocron, carefully rotating all the corners bringing the holocron to life. He felt it leave his hand…

…then a voice spoke.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," the voice said prompting Ezra to open his eyes to see the hexagonal core of the holocron floating in the air and glowing with a soft blue light. Around it the corners floated serenely like moons orbiting a gas giant. Projecting above the top surface of the holocron was the image of a man that he faintly recalled his father having a great deal of respect and admiration for. "I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place.

"This message is a warning and a reminder to all surviving Jedi, trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple, that time has passed and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged; our trust, our faith, our friendships but we must persevere. And in time a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always."

"I do trust in the Force, Master," Ezra said softly as the holographic recording of Master Kenobi disappeared, to be replaced by another human-looking figure.

"Greetings young one," the figure said in a feminine voice. "I am the custodian of this holocron how may I be of assistance?"

"What does that mean?" Ezra asked.

"It means young one that I am the guardian, the protector of this holocron and the knowledge and secrets of the Jedi Order that it contains. It is my function to ensure that it is not abused or misused in any way."

"I see."

"What is your name young one?" the custodian asked.

"Ezra, Ezra Bridger."

"You have a question, Ezra Bridger."

Ezra considered what to say for a moment as it was true he did have a question. After a moment he decided to just be blunt about it. "Why did you call me," he asked, "does it have anything to do with why the Force has manoeuvred me into meeting Kanan."

"A good question. The answer is simple the time has come for you to begin fulling your destiny, Ezra Bridger. It is time for you to take the first step on the path you have always been fated to walk."

"I don't understand," Ezra exclaimed not noticing the doors to the cabin open or Kanan come to stand in the doorway, watching him interact with the holocron's custodian with an impassive expression on his face.

"That is as it should. You know will know when it is time for you to know." As soon as the custodian finished speaking she disappeared leaving the holocron still floating and glowing.

"Hey come back what's that supposed to mean," Ezra complained.

"Don't bother asking. If there is one thing I know about holocron custodians it's that like Jedi Masters they can be maddeningly cryptic when they want to be," Kanan said from the doorway, grinning when he saw the kid jump and turned startled and alarmed eyes towards him even as he reached out with the Force and commanded the holocron to switch off and close. Prompting the glow to disappear and the corners to re-join the core turning it from a hexagon back into a square box. A box which then shot through the air into his waiting hand.

For a moment tense silence hung in the air then slowly Ezra stood up and looked down. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to invade your privacy like this," he said softly "I just felt…"

"…the holocron calling to you through the Force," Kanan finished for him as he stepped fully into the cabin allowing the doors to close.

"You're not mad?"

"No I'm not angry with you, Ezra. I know how hard such calls through the Force can be to resist. Though I am curious as to why you came back to the ship. Was it the call from the holocron?"

Ezra shook his head. "No I just couldn't stay in the camp," he answered, "it was too much, too much fear, hopelessness and despair for me. I've sensed those emotions before but never so much all at once. It felt like it was smothering me, I just couldn't stay there."

"I understand," Kanan said nodding and he really did understand. Dealing with the negative emotions of others, especially when there was such a large concentration of it as there was in Tarkintown, was hard. "Sensing the suffering of others like that is never easy for someone like us, Ezra. Though tell me what did you feel when you saw them living like that?"

"Angry, sad," Ezra admitted, "I hate that they have to live like that and wish I could do something about it, something to make right the wrong the Imperials have done to those people. Is that how you feel?"

"It is it's a perfectly natural reaction for a Jedi," Kanan told him.

"But I'm not a Jedi."

"No you're not. Not yet anyway," Kanan admitted before hesitating. Did he really want to bring this up here and now? He hadn't meditated on it or anything but somehow it just felt right. "But you are well on your way to becoming one. Your mental skills are already quite well developed for your age. If you want I am willing to teach what else you need to know, complete your training in the ways of the Force."

Ezra gaped at Kanan for a few moments. Was he really suggesting what he thought he was suggesting? Ever since his parents had been taken from him his chances of becoming a true Jedi padawan had been less than zero. While the recordings his father had made for him had helped a great deal there was so much they couldn't help him with. With a jolt he realised that this was why the Force had manoeuvred him into this position, why it had wanted him and Kanan to meet in the way that they had.

"Are you suggesting what I think you are," he asked the Jedi in front of him wanting to be sure.

"Indeed. If you're willing Ezra Bridger, then I am prepared to take you as my apprentice."

"What about the rest of the crew?"

"Hera already suspects that I was going to ask you, she knows me well enough, and knows enough about the Force to guess I would offer to finish the training that your father began," Kanan replied, "I also wouldn't be surprised if Zeb and Sabine suspect as well. Trust me when I say kid none of them will really have a problem with you being here."

"Even Zeb?"

"Even Zeb," Kanan confirmed while making a mental note to have a word with the somewhat rough around the edges former Honour Guard and make it clear that he wasn't to hold the kids actions in the city against him and to make him feel welcome here. No doubt he'd be able to get Hera to back him up as well.

"So what do you say, Ezra," he asked after a moment.

Ezra closed his eyes again and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly the words of the recording of Master Kenobi echoing in his mind for a moment. Especially the words to trust in the Force, advice that he would naturally take as the Force had never let him down before now.

"I say thank you," he said opening his eyes again and looking up at Kanan, "master."

Kanan smiled.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace**

 **Coruscant, That Same Time**

Sitting in his private study the undisputed ruler of much of the galaxy, known to many as Emperor Palpatine and to fewer as Darth Sidious, looked up from his readings of some of the restricted texts recovered from the Jedi Achieves. He sensed something, something in the currents of the Force was changing. _Now what could this be,_ he thought as he reached into the Force to investigate.

What he found sent a jolt of shock through him. After fifteen years of being completely suppressed by the dark the light side of the Force was stirring, something had happened. Something had changed that was starting to rouse it out of its long dormancy. Knowing this was not something that he could allow he tried to use his foresight to see where the distortion was going to lead. Only to find that the future was veiled somehow, for the first time in his life he could not see what was going to happen down the road and plan for it accordingly.

Concern growing by the moment he attempted to determine where the distortion in the Force was coming from. Only to once again meet with frustration as while he could tell that it was coming from somewhere in the Outer Rim he couldn't tell exactly where. Scowling he tapped one of the controls on the arm of his throne.

"Get me the Grand Inquisitor," he ordered.

"Yes your highness," the voice of Mas Amedda answered immediately.

* * *

 **Dagobah**

Sitting deep in meditation Yoda allowed a small smile to grace his aged features as be sensed the same change in the Force that the Emperor was feeling on distant Coruscant. However unlike Darth Sidious he knew full well what was causing it, one of the more obscure prophecies of the Jedi Order was beginning to come to pass.

"Begun the resurgence of the Jedi has," he said softly as he opened his eyes while continuing to smile. After so long in darkness hope was kindled.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Well another chapter bites the proverbial dust. I hope everyone enjoyed the little cameo appearances by the Emperor – I so wish he'd appear in the canon show as it would be nice to see Darth Sidious in all his evil glory again – and Yoda at the end of the chapter.**

 **I know it might seem that Kanan is being a bit out of character with being so willing to take Ezra as a padawan but in my view he is merely responding to the will of the Force as any other Jedi would. The fact that the force ghost of his old master Depa Billaba has told him to take Ezra as his padawan is only helping matters along and short circuiting the procrastination of the canon Kanan on the issue.**

 **As for the Prophecy of Three that's my own idea and one that will play a vital role later on in the fic as it's a prophecy for the resurrection of the Jedi Order like a phoenix from the ashes. Three Jedi – all born on the day the old order fell – will rise and together usher in a new era for the Jedi. Ezra is one of the three, Luke is another though I will leave you all to guess who the third one is though I will say it's not Leia.**

 **Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A Slightly Different Path**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters that I am about to mangle around, all Star Wars Rebels characters remain the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am merely borrowing them and make no profit from their use. So please keep the lawyers firmly on a leash.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Four**_

 **Elsewhere on Lothal**

 **A Short Time Later**

Kanan Jarrus kept his expression calm and impassive as Cikatro Vizago carefully inspected the consignment of EM-11 blaster rifles that they'd been contracted to acquire for him. The olive green skinned Devaronian, founder and head of the infamous Outer Rim crime syndicate the Brotherhood of the Broken Horn, appeared to be quite satisfied with the merchandise as he carefully sighted down the barrel of one of the rifles. Kanan had to admit that the EM-11 was an impressive and powerful weapon, one that was lethal in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing and who – unlike most storm troopers – was actually able to shoot straight. As such they would fetch a good price from Vizago that would ensure the _Ghost_ continued to have plenty of fuel and that they'd be able to top up their food stocks, something that was especially necessary now that Ezra was joining them.

For a moment Kanan's thoughts turned to his new padawan. He had to admit that, despite his few lingering doubts about the idea that even the conversation with the Force ghost of his old master couldn't completely erase, it actually felt good to know he was there. Well would be there, once they'd had chance to meditate together and begin forming the proper telepathic bond between a Jedi and their apprentice. Right now though Ezra wasn't here, Sabine having taken him in the _Phantom_ back to wherever he'd been living to pick up some of his personal belongings. _They should have reached it by now,_ he thought recalling Ezra telling them that he lived in the old Republic communications tower outside the capital – a tower rendered redundant when the Imperials took over and built a newer, more powerful tower on the opposite side of the city.

He had to wonder what belongings Ezra was after. He just hoped it wasn't anything too bulky as they only had a limited amount of storage space for personal items on the _Ghost_. As it was Ezra would be bunking with Zeb, something the Lasat wasn't happy about but would go along with as Kanan had already made it clear – with appropriate backup from Hera – to him that Ezra would be staying with them. Knowing better than to argue with them, he knew he wouldn't win, Zeb had reluctantly gone along with it.

Vizago putting the rifle he'd been inspecting back in the crate brought his attention back to the here and now. "I take it there were no problems acquiring these lovely ladies," Vizago asked as he almost lovingly caressed the rifles with one hand.

"Nothing we couldn't handle, Vizago. Your intel was spot on this time," Kanan replied and it was true that Ezra's interference was nothing that they couldn't handle.

Though knowing more about the kid's capabilities now he realized that Ezra had merely been testing them in the market place. No doubt wanting to find out more about them all, and himself in particular, and could have made the mission far more challenging had he wished to do so.

Had he really been intent on stealing the cargo from them then things could have gone very differently. Especially given how advanced his telekinetic abilities seemed to be; it would have been incredibly easy for Ezra to have blocked their path with any of a number of items that had been filling the streets. Plus given how he seemed to be able to hide himself from Kanan's own Force probes – something he made a mental note to speak with him about later as that kind of Force stealth was impressive in any Jedi let alone someone so young – finding him again would have been extremely difficult. Not impossible, just very difficult as it would have required him to tap into his Jedi abilities far more than he was generally comfortable with these days – hiding them as much as possible was what had kept him alive for the last fifteen years after all.

 _Though that's going to have to change now that I've taken Ezra as an apprentice,_ he thought knowing he would have to really stop hiding what he could do – nobody on the _Ghost,_ not even Hera, had ever seen what he was fully capable of though they were all aware that he was a Jedi – in order to successfully train Ezra in the ways of the Force. Especially if Master Billaba was right and Ezra was important to the future of the Jedi.

"We got the shipment away from the Empire," Hera added from beside him, breaking him out of his thoughts. "That's all that matters."

Vizago rolled his eyes as he made a hand gesture prompting one of his droids to come over holding a box of small gold bars. "No business is all that matters but I'm glad that there is no one on your crew who seems to know that," he replied as he took some of the bars from the box and started putting them in Kanan's waiting hand. He stopped after three bars.

"Keep going," Kanan prompted him, while they all had little interest in making money beyond what was necessary to feed themselves, acquire supplies and maintain the _Ghost_ he wasn't about to let the Devaronian short change them. Something he knew Vizago was well aware of as he'd never succeeded in short changing them in the past, long experience with his type over the last fifteen years – and a little occasional help from the Force – always letting Kanan know when he was trying it. As it was the gold he'd already given would be barely enough to fully fuel the ship and acquire additional food supplies.

"I could," Vizago replied, "or I could trade the rest of the bounty for another piece of intel. Something you've been begging me for."

"The Wookiee's," Here asked, referring to a small group of Wookiee's captured by the Empire who'd once been Republic soldiers, and who refused to acknowledge the Empire as the new government in the galaxy.

"The Wookiee's," Vizago confirmed with a smile. "So what do you say?"

"Alright," Kanan said after a moment closing his fist around the gold, catching the look Hera was sending him, a look that said they needed this intelligence. "But this had better be worth it, Vizago," he warned.

"Trust me it will be," Vizago answered as he gave the box back to the droid and gestured for another to come forward with a pad containing the details. A pad that he handed to Kanan who immediately scanned it, noting it was the flight plan of an Imperial cargo transport carrying the Wookiee's that would be passing through the outer edge of the Lothalan system in another few hours while the crew plotted their next hyperspace jump.

After a moment he handed it to Hera who carefully glanced over it before looking at Vizago. "Thank you," she said, "you have no idea what this means."

"Oh I think I do," Vizago replied, he wasn't entirely without intelligence resources after all and was well aware that the _Ghost_ crew had at least some affiliation with the slowly growing and spreading rebel movements against the Empire. Something he had little problem with as Imperial shipping and customs regulations were even more restrictive than the Republics had been, which really affected his business. Thus anything that hurt the Empire, even in a small way, was fine with him. Who knew in time, and if the rebellions continued to grow as they surely would unless the impossible happened and the Empire did a one eighty in their approach to ruling the galaxy, they might even come to him for weapons which could earn a tidy profit.

Without waiting for a reply he turned away and started issuing orders to his droids to begin loading the crates onto their transport. Accepting the dismissal for what it was Kanan turned and nodded at Hera and they began making their way back to the _Ghost_ , pausing just long enough to collect Zeb from where he'd been waiting in the wings constantly watching for any sign of betrayal from the crime lord.

In mere seconds they were back aboard the ship. "I'll call Sabine and get her to meet us in orbit," Hera said as she hit the control to close the ramp. "Kanan start working on a plan to rescue the Wookiee's, Zeb get all our weapons ready – just in case."

"On it Hera," Zeb replied immediately heading off towards the armoury, while Kanan merely nodded and headed straight to the common room to begin working on the details of the plan to save the captives from whatever dire fate the Empire had in mind for them. Knowing they'd do their part Hera made her way straight to the bridge to call Sabine.

 _I just hope she and Ezra are done by now,_ she thought.

* * *

 **Ezra's Tower**

 **A Few Minutes Earlier**

"This is where you live?" Sabine asked as Ezra easily opened the door to the room at the very top of the tower. A room that in the towers previous existence would have housed the main holo-net transmitter array and all its support equipment, but which had been left as a large empty space when the Imperials decommissioned the tower.

"Yes home sweet home it's not much but its dry," Ezra replied as he flicked on the lights and led the way inside. Sabine followed and looked around in curiosity, noting that the room was actually quite barren in appearance. Off to the right was a camp bed and a blanket both of which had obviously seen better days. To the left the room was dominated by a long narrow table that snaked along the wall all the way to a wall made of stacked boxes with a moth eaten curtained door off to one side. She guessed the refresher – or whatever passed for one – was beyond there.

The table itself was divided up into three distinct areas. The area closest to the door was set up as a kitchen with a two hob stove on the top and a crude fridge. A simple plastic bowl served as a sink. The next area was obviously a work area as it was covered with bits and pieces of electronics, some of whom she recognised, some she didn't. The final area seemed to be displaying a number of Imperial helmets, among them a TIE pilot's helmet. Additional helmets were mounted on simple shelves attached to the walls. The final feature of the room was a cushioned rectangular matt. The matt was almost identical to the one in Kanan's quarters and she guessed that Ezra used it for the same purpose Kanan did – to sit on while meditating.

"You so need some colour in here," she said only just resisting the impulse to get out her paint gun and start drawing some of her signature starbirds on the dull brown walls. Ezra merely chuckled as he went over to the part of the desk that served as his work area and started picking up a few of the boxes.

"Sabine if you look under the bed there is a box can you get it out for me," he asked as he whipped off his backpack and carefully started putting the few things he was picking up in there.

"Sure," Sabine replied moving over to the bed and looking underneath and sure enough in there was a simple metal box about a foot square. She carefully got it out, noting it was surprisingly heavy as well as seeing faded Jedi Order and Old Republic symbols on it. "What's in here it's surprisingly heavy," she commented as she put it down on the bed.

"Open it and look if you want," Ezra answered, "just don't take anything out as I want to bring it along."

Curiosity getting the better of her Sabine did as he said. And blinked when she saw the contents included a small holo projector, with a number of holo disks in a contained next to it. They looked pretty sophisticated and very high spec, albeit somewhat older in design to the ones she'd seen but she guessed they were Jedi or Old Republic in origin explaining the age.

Though what especially grabbed her attention was first the holster holding a small blaster pistol of Hapen design. She easily recognised it from her courses back at the Mandalore branch of the Academy for Young Imperials. As such she knew that like all Hapen weapons it would be both powerful and accurate. She just had to wonder how Ezra had it as Hapen weapons weren't exactly easy to come by one the galactic market; the matriarchal Hapens didn't generally export their weapons as widely as others, like Corellians, did. After a moment she guessed that Ezra's mother had probably been a Hapen, it would certainly explain why his very distinctive eyes were such an unusual shade of blue.

Looking away from the blaster pistol Sabine blinked when she saw the incomplete lightsabre sitting in the case with a number of tools. It was a very different design to any lightsabre that she'd ever seen before with the top having a cross guard above the control panel giving it a distinct T-shape. Looking at it more closely she was surprised to note that it looked like the weapon could come apart into two or more pieces – just like Kanan's could. She cautiously picked it up noting that its weight was wrong, the top was heavy – indicating there was a kyber crystal present to generate the plasma that formed the blade – but the lower hilt below the controls was far too light. A glance showed why, as there didn't appear to be a power cell present.

"I've been building it for months," Ezra abruptly said from behind her making her jump. "I just need a power cell to finish it."

"You've been making this?" she asked turning to look at Ezra even as she put the lightsabre back in the box. "Why? You already have a lightsabre. And what's with the odd design?"

"Dad was something of a Jedi history buff, the cross-guard is a very old design for a lightsabre. I liked looking at some holo's of that design that he had so I decided to make mine a cross guard. As for why I made it, dad's doesn't fit me properly as I said on the _Ghost,_ " Ezra replied, "I can't hold it properly, the balance and so on is all wrong for me, as such while I can use it I'm not very good with it. Thankfully like most Sentinels dad had a second lightsabre – that was damaged before I was born – that I could get most of the parts from, especially the kyber crystal."

"But not the power cell. I take it that was the part that was damaged."

Ezra nodded. "Sliced in two," he replied. "While there are a few shops on Lothal that sell the right type of cell they're all owned by the Empire so I'd have to get one off the black market and that costs."

Sabine frowned but nodded in understanding. The Empire restricted all the technologies that could be used in the creation and maintenance of lightsabres and other higher powered energy weapons. It was one of the ways the Imperials ensured that nobody could acquire the weapons needed to stand against them and their cruel rule of the galaxy. It was one of the reasons they had to deal with Vizago as often as they did.

"Well that won't do. I think we've got a few compatible power cells on the _Ghost_ ," she mused, "I'll have a look when we get back to the ship."

"Really!" Ezra exclaimed eyes widening in shock and sudden hope. When Sabine nodded back he smiled. "Thanks, Sabine."

"Your welcome," Sabine replied smiling back. _He has a nice smile,_ she thought a moment before her comm unit bleeped.

"Spectre Two to Spectre Five," Hera's voice said from the unit on her right arm.

"Spectre Five here, Hera," Sabine acknowledged into the unit, but not before handing Ezra the box who immediately closed it before slipping it into his backpack.

"Sabine are you and Ezra done."

"I think so let me check," Sabine replied throwing a questioning look at Ezra who nodded back indicating that he had everything he wanted, even as he went and rolled up his meditation mat to bring it with him. "Yeah we're done why?"

"Meet us in orbit as soon as you can," Hera replied "we've got another mission."

"We'll be right there. Spectre Five out."

"Time to go," Ezra asked as Sabine lowered the comm link.

"Time to go," she confirmed.

"Alright lead on then," Ezra replied with a smile. Sabine couldn't help but smile back before turning and leading the way back out of the room. Ezra followed a few paces behind her though he paused just long enough to take one final look around committing the image of the place that had been his home and sanctuary to memory. Then, without looking back, left the room and the years of loneliness – with only the Force and occasional loth-cats for company – behind him.

It was time to see just what destiny had in store for him.

* * *

 **The Ghost**

 **Lothal Orbit, A Short Time Later**

"So that's the intel we've got on the Wookiee's," Kanan finished telling the rest of the _Ghost_ crew, including his new padawan, putting the data pad that Vizago had given him down on the table.

"Sounds like it will be quite easy to spring them since the Empire is only using one ship to transport them with minimal escort," Sabine commented with a smile on her face at the typical overconfidence of the Imperials.

"And I've worked out a plan on how to do just that," Kanan replied and began to carefully outline the plan that he'd come up with.

Sitting next to Sabine Ezra tried to listen to what his new master was saying but found that for some reason he was unable to. Instead he felt his attention being constantly drawn to the pad. Confused and a little concerned he carefully reached out and picked up the pad…

…and his world went white.

* * *

 _A tall fit man, with mutton chop sideburns in an unfamiliar but definitely Imperial uniform stood on the bridge of a star destroyer a number of other Imperials in officer uniforms._

" _We'll delay the transport carrying the Wookiee slaves to Spice Mine K7 on Kessel for three hours," the Imperial was saying. "While that's delayed we'll leak information on when we were originally planning to transport the Wookiee's to a contact we know to have links with the black market. From there it should reach the Rebels. When they board the transport to 'rescue' the slaves we'll be waiting to detain their boarding party while the_ _Lawgiver_ _detains their mothership."_

" _What if the Rebels don't take the bait Agent Kallus?" one of the other Imperials said._

 _Kallus smirked back. "Oh they will," he said confidently, "I've dealt with rabble like this before, they won't be able to resist attempting to rescue the slaves. They're so foolishly idealistic like that. The delay to the transport plans should be insignificant."_

* * *

 _Kanan and Zeb were running down a corridor on an Imperial ship. Arriving at the cargo bay they used a small charge to breach the door and enter… only to run into a wall of stun blasts that dropped them both unconscious to the deck as the storm troopers waiting for them opened fire to disable._

 _Simultaneously a dozen more troopers boarded through the portside airlock and entered the auxiliary control room where Sabine and Chopper were manipulating the systems. The troopers immediately dropping Sabine with another volley of stun blasts before changing settings and blasting Chopper to scrap at point blank range._

* * *

 _The_ _Ghost_ _attempting to break away and escape only to be hit by a bolt from an ion cannon rendering her dead in space and allowing the star destroyer to grab the suddenly helpless ship in a tractor beam and pull them aboard._

* * *

Ezra dropped the pad and reeled back as if burned as the sudden onslaught of visions ended. He closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands shivering with reaction. _Damn I hate it when this happens,_ he thought as his stomach felt like it had suddenly been twisted into a knot making him feel like he wanted to throw up. After a moment he felt a hand – that was too big to be Sabine's – touch his shoulder.

"Ezra listen to me. Take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly, with each breath feel the nausea fade," Kanan's voice said softly

Deciding to follow the older, and thus much more experienced, Jedi's advice Ezra did as he was instructed and immediately began to feel better. After a few moments he felt well enough to drop his hands down, open his eyes and look up to find Kanan standing over him, with the rest of the crew looking at him in concern. "I'm okay," he said. "I hate it when that happens."

"Yes it can be jarring when that happens," Kanan agreed knowing full well what had happened, it had happened to him before as well. In fact, it happened to most Jedi a few times in their lives. It was part of the price they all paid for being gifted with the Force in the first place.

"What is it? What happened?" Sabine asked.

"A vision from the Force," Kanan answered before turning his full attention to Ezra. "What did you see," he asked gently.

"It's a trap," Ezra replied pointing at the pad. "Someone called Agent Kallus deliberately leaked that information to draw us into a trap. There are no Wookiee's on that transport – only storm troopers waiting in ambush. A star destroyer will then show up and disable this ship with an ion cannon blast. The real transport has been delayed for three hours, though I also saw where it's going has anyone ever heard of the spice mines of Kessel?"

The rest of the crew exchanged concerned glances. "It's infamous," Sabine said at last, "slaves taken there rarely last more than a month at the most. For Wookiee's born in the forest it's a certain death sentence."

"Then we better go save them," Ezra replied. "The mine they're taking them to is K7."

"What are we going to do about that transport?" Zeb asked hoping that he would get a chance to bash some bucket heads, he so loved the feel of their helmets against his fists as he knocked them senseless. "Should we just go to Kessel straight off."

"No," Kanan said after a few moments of thinking about it. "No we don't want to tip the Empire off that we're onto their little deception. We'll play along for now and deal with this Agent Kallus' trap in the best way to deal with such things."

"Which is," Zeb asked.

"We spring it and turn it right back on the Imperials. Once that's been done we can head to Kessel and save the Wookiee's."

"I like it," Hera replied. "So what do you have in mind love?"

Kanan grinned and began carefully outlining his revised plan of attack.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: This chapter turned out to be quite a bit shorter than I expected it to be but then that's often the case with chapters like this which are basically bridging and background filling chapters. I hope everyone likes my idea that Ezra had a vision from touching the pad warning them about Kallus planned ambush on the freighter instead of what happened in the canon show. I thought it a good way to get around having to somehow work in scenes from Spark of Rebellion that are unnecessary in this AU. I also hope you like Kanan's very Obi-Wan approach to dealing with a trap – to spring it and use it to your advantage.**

 **Finally I hoped everyone's okay with my decision to give Ezra a cross-guard sabre similar to Kylo Ren's though naturally it's not red as he's not a Sith or Sith-wannabe like Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is, plus the crystal being undamaged means the blade will be more stable. For a while I was tempted to go with the hybrid sabre/blaster design of canon but ultimately decided against it as for the first seven years of his life – before his parents were taken to prison – Ezra was raised in a quasi-Jedi fashion by his former Jedi father and thus wouldn't think to build a lightsabre that's also a blaster. Instead for long range fire he'll use his mother's blaster pistol as in the background for this story she was a) Hapen and b) a field combat medic which is how she met Ephraim Bridger in the first place.**


End file.
